Torture
by TsukiChanChan
Summary: Mard Geer has never been too interested in human endeavors. Their greed and blasphemous sense of righteousness never appealed to him. But something about that blonde makes all the time wasted on the guild worthwhile. E.N.D certainly found a keeper.
1. Keys

**Author's Note**

 **Are you guys ready for the crack-ship fics?!**

Mard Geer stands in front of Lucy, roughly grabbing her chin. Tears stream down her face, but other than that, nobody would suspect that the blonde is about to die. Her eyes still hold determination- her resolve has not changed.

It is almost enough to make Mard Geer angry, but he is still intrigued. She should be grateful- her queer behavior is the only thing keeping her alive.

"How can you still look at me like that?" He inquires, throwing her chin to the side. He raises a brow when she doesn't respond, and circles her. A low hum escapes him and he stops his pacing. Lucy's head is still in the position Mard Geer set it in.

"Don't make me repeat myself, human."

She lifts her head, her thin lips turned into an angry snarl. Mard can see why Master E.N.D took such a big interest in this human- Mard couldn't help but feel curious.

"You can kill me, torture me, it doesn't matter." She hisses.

"Why is that?"

"Because Natsu will come and save me, and kick your ass." Her voice is laced in confidence, and Mard Geer feels something he hasn't felt for a long time.

He feels… entertained.

His low chuckle is unsettling, and Lucy purses her lips, no doubt wary of the small twinkle in his eye.

"So he went by the name of Natsu…" He murmurs. He delivers a kick to Lucy's side, smiling as she cries out in pain. The force would have set her flying, but his thorns hold her in place.

"Your 'Natsu'," another kick, "doesn't exist."

"You don't know what you're talking about!" She protests, wiping blood onto her shoulder. "You're just a book! A spawn of Zeref!"

He kicks her again. "Yes, I live to serve Zeref and my master, Master E.N.D." He leans in close, his mouth grazing her ear. "Do you know what E.N.D stands for?"

She doesn't respond, and instead headbutts him with all her might. Mard stumbles backwards, his brows furrowed in annoyance. But his smile remains on his face- his Master has awoken, he has _won_. He will not let a stupid, but interesting, human grate on his nerves any more than he already let her.

Her whole guild is such a nuisance.

The roses on Lucy's wrists and legs tighten, causing her to bend backwards even further. She lets out a cry of pain. Her scream is as lovely as her face- a pure, innocent scream with that human touch of defiance and resistance.

He absolutely _loves_ it.

The thorns stop moving, and Lucy pants, staring up at the sky. Mard can't help but feel inspired to do so as well, and he, soon, also stares at the twinkling stars.

"These are the stars you control, correct?" He asks, his voice softened. The calm night has a soothing effect on him, and he once again falls back into his state of emotionless bliss.

"Why would you care?" She snarls.

"I am sure you humans care for far more things than I." He retorts, before looking back to Lucy. "I suppose Master wouldn't mind if I keep you, hm?"

"I'd rather die."

"It's not your decision to make." He bends down, once again, grabbing Lucy's pouch. "You don't need these, now do you?"

He slides the belt down to her thighs, before ripping off the pouch from the belt.

"Give me back my keys!" She screeches, struggling against her thorns. "You can do anything to me, but do not lay a hand on them!"

"Or what?" He chuckles. He opens the pouch, standing up so Lucy can see him. "Hm, many gold keys. What's this one?"

He holds out a key in front of Lucy. "Tell me the name, or I'll break it."

"Leo! It's Leo! Now give it back!"

He smirks, before snapping the golden key.

"No!" Lucy screeches. Tears stream down her face as loud sobs rack her body.

He decides that he enjoys Lucy being alive- he hasn't had this much fun in a while. Another key breaks. And another. And another. All of the broken pieces litter the floor around her, until none are left.

But her tears aren't enough- he wants to see her _broken_.

"I suppose we do have one thing in common." He says, but Lucy ignores him. "Guilds, are they called? It's funny- your Master is dead, and mine has been revived!"

He yanks her chin towards him. "Look at me when I speak to you. I'm sure my Master would enjoy seeing you as much as I do. You are very, very interesting."

"Leave me alone…" She whispers, causing Mard to triumphantly smile. The poor girl is losing her mind, because of him. And he will enjoy himself with it until she is dead. "Nonsense. My Master is quite busy right now, slaughtering your friends and whatnot, so I suppose I will have to inform you of his identity. Master E.N.D: the most powerful demon Zeref as ever created. And his name is Etherious Natsu Dragneel."

Her sobs stop. "What…?"

But he doesn't answer, because he is gone. He slams the cell door behind him as he walks out of the room, laughing to himself as her desperate screams slowly faded.

Maybe it's because she had the nerve to summon the Spirit King to fight against him. How stupid was she to think that his old rival could even come _close_ to the power he achieved over the past years. What cost did she pay so that she could have a single chance of saving her friends and defeating him?

'A human's foolishness', he concludes, is the reason for his misfortune. Their persistence, especially the blonde's, led to nothing but their defeat and yet that girl could still speak with that much confidence? Their arrogance far outweighs his.

No matter, though. As long as they're kept in chains until Face is complete, everything should run smoothly.

What he doesn't understand, though, is that as long as they're alive, Fairy Tail will ensure that nothing runs smooth for those trying to hurt their family.

 **Author's Note**

 **Yay! Mard Geer and Lucy brotp time! XD That wasn't a brotp** _ **at all**_ **. Mard Geer is probably my favorite character in the Fairy Tail series, so I had to write something about him!**


	2. Escape

**Chapter Two**

 **In Which, Lucy Escapes**

* * *

A demon looks down on his new slaves from his throne. Some wriggle, attempting to break from their chains, but others are quiet. One, for some reason he can't quite figure out, really angers him.

A boy with raven hair does nothing but stare at him. His malicious glare had even startled the demon at first, but he grew accustomed to it. He even matched the glare from some time, and the boy's name found its way to his mind.

Gray.

What the demon finds interesting, though, is how much power fluctuates off this "Gray" even though he is heavily battered and has been kneeling in the unbecoming position for quite some time. The demon is wary that he will soon attack, but Gray fails to. The demon has yet to even see him blink.

It isn't until some hours pass that Gray speaks, and he is so quiet that if it weren't for the demon's excellent hearing, he would've missed it.

"So, you were E.N.D all along, huh, Natsu?" He growls. The others turn and look at him- some afraid of his anger and others feigning pity.

E.N.D smiles. So, that is what he will be called. It comes rushing back to him at that moment- he remembers being, or being held in, rather, Natsu Dragneel. Etherious Natsu Dragneel. E.N.D. He likes it.

"Natsu's far gone." E.N.D replies, shrugging his shoulders. "I hope me being here isn't the tragedy of the night."

Gray manages to sit up, quicker than E.N.D would ever anticipate. Before the demon can put the ice mage back in his place, spit flies onto his face.

He scowls as he wipes it off his face, his eyes making its way back to Gray, who wears a satisfied smile on his face.

"You cocky piece of-" E.N.D starts, furiously walking towards Gray, white flames enveloping his fists. But, he is too late. A sword made of sparkling purple ice materialized, cutting Gray's binds off his wrists. Many more appear, freeing his friends.

Suddenly aware of his position, E.N.D steps back, his eyes never leaving Gray's. But Gray isn't here to fight, although E.N.D can tell he wants to.

"Good going, Gray!" A petite girl with blue hair cheers, her eyes filled with hope. Everyone murmurs their thanks and approval, getting into fighting stances.

"Guy, stop. There are others to find." Gray states, stepping back. His swords all point at E.N.D glimmering above him in the twilight.

"More of you?" E.N.D questions. There are already around five or ten here, how could there be more? How pathetic must they be to have such a large number of people and yet not stand a chance against the Nine Gates?

Humans really are weak. He watches them leave, not out of mercy, but out of curiosity. He'll be meeting Gray again, and he plans to tear him apart when the time comes.

* * *

Lucy struggles against the rose stems keeping her chained to the ground. Her head aches from all the crying, and she is sore, but she persists. With every single movement, the roses loosen, if only a little. She'll be free soon. She just hopes Mard Geer doesn't come back.

Her left hand becomes free first. Without an arm keeping her back, she's able to move to get her back out of that uncomfortable arch. The keys still litter the floor- but they are still alive. It's almost unnoticeable, but they aren't broken, well some of them anyway. Small cracks run through some of the handles, but they still glow and their familiar warmth washes over her. As soon as her other hand is free, she inspects all the keys.

Virgo, Scorpio, Aries, and Gemini are all okay. The rest are either shattered or snapped in half. She chokes on a sob as she picks up all the pieces and puts them into her pouch. She uses Scorpio's key to cut through the vines that are tightly wrapped around her ankles. She rubs the red marks and winces, before looking towards the door.

Standing up, albeit unsteadily, she quietly walks towards the door. Her bare feet pitter-patter against the cold stone, and she bites down the pain that jolts through her legs as the cracked ground torment her feet, which is victim to many small cuts. She peers out the window, and seeing no one near, she quietly opens the door.

It creaks loudly, but nobody comes. She steps out, taking a deep breath of relief. She's at the end of a corridor, so there's only one way to go.

Right.

She cautiously sprints down the halls, peeking into the other empty cells. Beautiful, yet deadly, roses gave the otherwise gray room splashes of bright reds and pinks, and if it weren't for the plants just binding her, Lucy might've been able to appreciate its beauty.

She chooses not to comment on how quiet it is. While it's suspicious that Tartaros is so silent, and that the cells are empty, she hates to thinks about what else the silent could mean.

In jest and in battle, Fairy Tail is a loud guild. And for it to be this quiet, something must be wrong.

She goes even faster, coming to an intersection. She can still see far down the hallway she's running through, and it seems to be empty, which gives her two choices.

Left, or Right?

She doesn't get to decide. Someone grabs her collar, and she chokes on air as she's yanked back. As she flies backwards, she catches a glimpse of pink hair. She collides against a wall, letting out a howl of pain. But, she isn't as frail as she seems. Despite her injuries, she bounces back quickly, blinking away the pain.

Natsu stares at her, head tilted to the side. Well, he looks like Natsu. His pink hair is wild and his onyx eyes bright, and yet, sinister. Long black horns protrude from his head and his arms are covered in patches of scales. His black tail swishes side to side, the dangerous blades on it scraping against the ground.

"Who are you?" He asks, dropping Lucy onto the ground. Lucy doesn't respond, cursing to herself. This isn't Natsu, but can she hurt him?

Other than forcibly catching her, he seems to mean no harm. Still, Lucy's hand flies to her pocket, ready to pull out a key.

Natsu shrugs, a grin coming to his face. "Ah, you won't answer? No worries." He steps back, allowing Lucy to stand up.

"Tell me who _you_ are first!" She blurts out, trying to seem as menacing as possible. But with the sleeves of her shirt torn to shreds and all the cuts and bruises littering her body, she concludes that she doesn't exactly look intimidating.

But, he answers nevertheless. "Call me E.N.D. Cool name, huh?"

Lucy's eyes widen. This is E.N.D? Possibilities swarm through her head. Did he kill her friends? Will he kill her friends? Could she kill him? Would she kill him?

Natsu scowls at her lack of response. "Tch. No respect." His elongated, elfish ears twitch. "Oh, are you trying to escape?"

He doesn't give Lucy a chance to respond- the expression on her face answers his question. Lucy tenses. She can't die here.

"Open Gate of the Maid: Virgo!" She screeches, desperately fumbling for her key. Almost immediately, the maid appears, standing between Lucy and Natsu.

"Hello, princess." She greets, bowing towards Lucy. "I will eliminate-" she turns around, her eyes widening at the sight of her opponent.

"-Natsu?!"

The demon's scowl deepens at the name. "That's not my name!" He roars, swinging a fiery fist at the celestial spirit.

Virgo dodges, disappearing into a hole in the floor. E.N.D stomps his foot at her exit, letting out a frustrating roar. Lucy has been forgotten. The celestial spirit mage waits, silently watching E.N.D. He stays still, before his ears twitch and he breaks into a malicious smile. He strikes his fist into the ground, the fire spreading all around him. Virgo pops up a moment later, immediately contacting the flames. She screams, and so does Lucy.

"Fleuve d'etoil!" Lucy screams. The whip appears in her hand, and she lashes it at Natsu's arm, catching him just above the wrist. He growls at the contact, trying to break free. But Lucy pulls back with all her might, sending Natsu into the wall behind her. As soon as he makes contact, she uncoils the whips and runs.

"Virgo, go back!" She demands, running around the rapidly spreading fire.

"You'll get hurt!" Virgo retorts, cautiously eyeing E.N.D, who was hopping off the wall with a grin on his face.

"I'll be fine! Force Gate Closure: Virgo!"

Lucy staggers at the loss of her magical energy, but she quickly picks up the pace. She runs turns left, not bothering to look back as she runs down the hall.

* * *

E.N.D stares at the retreating blonde. She must be another member of that human guild. He noticed the pink mark she had on her hand, which his ex-slaves had somewhere on their bodies. In fact, he was surprised to find the same mark on his shoulder as he was walking down a hallway right before he encountered Lucy.

"Is that why she called me Natsu?" He inquires, listening to the sound of her feet die down. He shrugs, it's not worth thinking of, and continues walking on.

His underlings had already gone against the guild. Now, it's time for match two. And E.N.D will ensure that he wins.

This is sure to be interesting.


	3. Searching

Mard Geer stands in front of the cell door, a small frown on his face. His vines lay wilted on the ground. Only that and the blood are the lasting traces of its former prisoner.

Lucy escaped.

He should've checked on her the moment he felt his magic weakened. He had walked to far away from his chains, and she was able to break them.

How strong is that girl?

Still, Mard Geer made a mistake leaving that girl in such a position where she could mistake, and now he has to fix it.

"Should I tell Master E.N.D?" He wonders aloud, his dark eyes darting around the room. Any clue, any trace could make his search easier. "No, I would hate to bother him…"

He turns around, quickly walking back down the hall. He only left the cell around half an hour ago- she couldn't have gotten too far.

He stops just before the intersection, reaching out towards a large pink rose that stuck out from his right. His fingers gently touch the soft petals, and he closes his eyes.

Images of everything within the roses' range flashes in his mind- too fast for him to comprehend.

"Show me the girl." He murmurs. The images slow down before turning into one continuous stream.

Lucy runs through the hallway, the image tinted pink, constantly looking behind her shoulder. Mard Geer smiles to himself. That girl is foolish to think she can escape, it's impossible.

She just has the luck of the stars, that's all. But that isn't enough to save her from the Nine Gates. _Nothing_ is enough to save her.

Because he will prevail for his master and for Zeref.

And if the blonde gets in his way one more time, he will end her. No matter how entertaining she is, she is a human _and_ her opponent. He will never forget that.

He continues watching her through his Rose Feed- it'll be easier to intercept her rather than chasing her. He is about to set off- she seems to be heading towards the main wing- before he sees her stop. Her head looks at the very Rose he's looking through.

A bright light emits from beside her, and the feed stops, and a headache erupts in Mard Geer's head. How did she notice him?

There's no way she'd go to the Main Wing now, but there are so many branches of the castle that it'd be near impossible to find her before someone else.

He set off again, this time in a hurried run.

* * *

"Any luck, Levy?" Erza asks, bringing Gray to a stop.

"No… No not yet. It'd be much easier with Warren here…" The bluenette responds, frowning at her incapability.

She, along with Gray, Erza, and Laxus to name a few, had found a treasure cove of books that all centered around magic- illegal and legal both.

She found a book about communication, and immediately went to work trying to learn it. However, the book's written in a language Levy barely knows, and her injuries and lightheadedness didn't make it easy.

Not to mention, her friends are depending on her, and she can't do a single thing. She feels useless.

Laxus ruffles her hair, giving her a stern glare. "Well, Warren isn't here, but you are. Now's not the time to be comparing yourself to him. He's had years to learn that magic, and you've been studying it for less than an hour. Don't be so hard on yourself."

Everyone is appalled at Laxus' sudden show of encouragement, but they nod in agreement, causing Levy to blush.

"Y- Yeah. I'll try my best." She says. With a new sense of determination, she withdraws from the others, going back to studying her book. Thoughts of the battle with Torafuzar flash through her mind- watching Gajeel drown, aiding him, and then passing out herself. She still doesn't understand how she's still alive or how she ended up with her current company- all she knows is that she should be grateful. However, after having to look at E.N.D for hours on end, painfully remembering Natsu and all the times he destroyed her books, she feels more guilty than relieved. The thought that she just left on Gray's orders instead of trying to save Natsu made her angry at everyone, especially herself and Gray, but with Gray silently walking with that angry expression, she came to think that maybe he wasn't that happy with her decision, and she dropped it. She shakes her head, refocusing herself on the issue at hand.

Erza carefully looks over to Gray- she's sure that everyone noticed how he's been acting. He hasn't said a word to anyone, other than short commands to be quiet or to wait while he scouts ahead.

The group had formed their own little militia. Everyone had been assigned a partner by Gray, and the buddies stuck together at all times. Unlikely combinations were made, but everyone agreed it was for the best.

After all, Levy's tactfulness with Laxus' strength is a good combination.

Lisanna's offensive power and Wendy's wide range of abilities will work well together.

Erza had volunteered to stay by Gray's side. Out of everyone, she knows him best, and his magic is so unstable it could be hazardous to others. She can and will subdue him.

"Gray." She says, her voice hushed but firm. He acknowledges her with a small raise of his brow. In any other situation, he would get punched for not properly responding to someone, but even Erza knows this isn't the time for being difficult. Whatever happened before his capture must've been bad for him to show the slightest disrespect towards her, so she lets it slide.

Instead, she sighs, and points ahead. "Left or right?"

* * *

Gajeel scowls to himself, pressing into the wall. Whoever is approaching is approaching quickly, and he is no rush to confront anyone. He, miraculously, wasn't caught, so he's been wandering the halls, looking for some way to escape.

Not to abandon the guild- no way in hell he'd do that- but to get help. If he can get help from Sabertooth or Mermaid Heel or some other guild, these demons were sure to go down. He's sure that Fairy Tail can't win on their own.

He sucks in a breath as the footsteps get louder. He can't think of a reason why one of the Nine Gates would be running, but it has to be one of them.

The only idiot that would run through the empty halls of enemy territory is Natsu, and Gajeel is pretty sure someone would be around to smack some sense into him.

He feels iron plate his fists just as the person could be no more than a few feet away and he jumps out. Just as his fist is speeding through the way, eager to collide with its opponent, he notices the mop of blonde hair and the wide brown eyes.

He stumbles back, his hand awkwardly hitting nothing but air.

"Bunny Girl?"

"Gajeel!" The blonde exclaims throwing her arms around him. She pulls back wiping her forehead. "Good to see you." She looks behind him. "You're alone?"

"Obviously." Gajeel mutters. "What are you doing running through the halls like that, anyway?! Someone could see you! Do you have your keys?"

She winces at the question, but doesn't answer. "Ah, I've already been spotted."

"You're so careless!"

"Shut up, Gajeel! We gotta go find the others."

The two break into a run, Lucy's footsteps much more quiet, now, choosing any random direction.

Just as they are about to reach what looks like a lab, a figure cloaked in the shadows emerge.

A sinister grin adds to his evilly handsome appearance, and the two stop.

"Shit…" Lucy grumbles, taking a fighting stance.

Mard Geer eyes the two, before the ground between them breaks, and his roses emerge from the ground.

"You've annoyed me for the last time, blonde."

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Revised 3/24/17**


	4. Cooperation

**Author's Note**

 **I was surprised to get so many follows/favorites on this story… I mean, this is a crack ship fic. Hope you enjoy the chapter! You might be confused at where we are… We are at the very beginning of the arc- how E.N.D came to be will be revealed soon, so just bear with me =)**

* * *

"Who's this guy?" Gajeel mutters, glaring at their opponent. "He looks like me… but sophisticated."

"Is that really important right now?" Lucy harshly whispers. "Shit, I thought I threw him off."

She takes her eyes away from Gajeel, glaring at the leader of the Demon Gates. "Hey! How'd you find me?!" She demanded.

"I must admit, you did surprise me with your little party trick." Mard shrugs, raising his hand. "But you shouldn't underestimate me again. Go forth, my beautiful roses!"

"Open Gate of the Twins and the Maid: Gemini and Virgo!" Lucy shouts, throwing herself to the side, avoiding a quickly approaching rose.

"Oi, Bunny Girl! Do you just call 'em out randomly?! Because we're sure as hell gonna need some strategy here!" He jumps into the air, his ironclad fists flying at the many roses surging towards him.

"Of course, I have a strategy!" Lucy barks, barely moving out the way of another rose. "Virgo! Dig up the roses! Gemini, transform into Gajeel!"

"Why me?!"

"Your offensive power would be very useful! Can you slow down for just a moment?!" Lucy replies, scowling at his lack of compliance.

"Bonk him on the head." She whispers to Gemini.

"Piri, Piri!"

"Fleuves d'etoil!" She shouts, standing to her feet. With one flick of her wrist, she slashes through a whole row of roses… and Gajeel.

"Oi, Bunny Girl! Watch it!" He shouts, falling to the floor. He had, luckily, been able to cover up his side with iron right before collision.

"What do you mean?! I clearly had that side covered!" Lucy shouts back, scowling to herself.

Mard Geer's laughter pierces through the air. "Another thing about you humans is the lack of coordination. You can't ever hope to win against me like that." His smile widens. "You have no hope to win at _all_."

"Arrogant shit!" Gajeel roars, dodging all the twisting roses as he runs towards Mard Geer. "Eat my fist!"

"Gemini, help out Gajeel!"

"I don't need no help, bunny girl!"

"Stop trying to do everything by yourself!" Lucy can't even voice how annoying he is. He is way harder to predict and work with than Natsu. While both dragon slayers are both strong fighters, Gajeel fights for himself, not giving an opening to his allies. She can't blame him- he's just fighting as he was taught in Phantom Lord- but it doesn't make his fighting style any less annoying.

"Well, if you want to help so bad, how about you wipe out those roses, huh?" He barks, and Lucy begrudgingly nods.

Gajeel growls as Mard Geer dodges his fist, again, smiling as he evades contact.

"Stop moving around, damnit!" Gajeel orders, sending his fist into Mard Geer's side.

The demon's eyes widen at the contact, before squinting at Gajeels smug smirk.

"You dare to punch Mard Geer?" He asks, appalled. "Such a filthy insect shan't lay a hand on a high being such as myself!"

He repays Gajeel with a punch of his own, the force sending Gajeel into Lucy.

"Watch it doofus!" She screeches, trying her best to get free. Gemini has been trapped by roses on his way to help Gajeel, and they furiously thrash against their captor.

"We're stuck, piri piri!" They scream.

"Virgo!" Lucy shouts, looking for the pink-haired maid. Suddenly, a large circle of flowers collapse. Virgo stands in the middle, her whip in her hands. "On it, princess!"

"Damn it, this dude is tough." Gajeel mutters, standing back up.

"No kidding." Lucy agrees.

"You seriously think that you could win against Mard Geer?" The demon laughs again. The roses part as he walks towards them, his eyes filled with glee. He wards off Lucy's spirits attacks with ease, seeming more amused than hurt.

"Yes we can! I'll be damned if I don't beat you here! You're not going to get to my family!" Lucy declares, adrenaline pumping through her veins.

"Hallelujah, Bunny Girl has spoken." Gajeel smirks. Lucy grabs his hand, much to his surprise, and points it at Mard Geer.

"It doesn't matter if we're uncoordinated or not! We're family, and we'll still fight together!"

Magic swirled around the two- golden light with deep gray shadows. "Forgery of the Celestial Sword!"

A large iron sword appeared above them, all constellations swirling around it. With a flash of bright light, it swoops down, crashing onto Mard Geer.

The light subsides, leaving a battered Mard Geer on the ground. Lucy falls to the floor, panting, with Gajeel barely able to stand himself.

"We- we did a Unison Raid." Lucy speaks, her voiced laced in disbelief.

"Grab my hand again, and I'll kill you." Gajeel grunts, leaning against a fallen rose.

"Shut up! It was an in-the-moment thing, okay?"

Lucy stands up, before nearly falling down again. "That was more tiring than it should be…"

Gajeel scowls and bends down, crouching in front of Lucy, who stares at him in confusion.

"You need to take a breather, too?" She asks.

"Of course not. I'm gonna keep going, and if you plan on coming, you're either gonna hop on or you're walking."

Lucy smiles- it's times like this where she remembers that Gajeel has changed since joining the guild, even if he doesn't show it. She hops onto his back, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Thanks, Gajeel."

He grunts in reply, beinning to walk past Mard Geer. He even steps on him for good measure, satisfied at the demon's lack in response.

"I know you'd much rather have Levy here with you, but I hope I'm okay company."

"You'd be much better if you'd hush."

"So mean!" Lucy pouts.

"You wanna see mean? I don't got a problem with dropping you on the floor right here, right now."

"You think you can defeat a demon on your own?"

"Shut up, of course I can." He mutters. "Where'd your star people go?"

Lucy shrugs. "They probably went back during the Unison Raid, or I subconsciously closed their gates."

"Huh." He grunts. "So, this is a lab?"

All around them, large empty tubes reach from floor to ceiling. They're empty, save for bubbly blue liquid which casts bluish white light through the room. Gajeel silently carries Lucy through the tubes, inspecting them. The only noises are his heavy footsteps, until a squeaky voice causes them to jump.

"What are you ugly brutes doing in my lab?"

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **I think Lucy and Gajeel would have a sort of rocky relationship, with Lucy trying to be nice but ultimately getting annoyed at Gajeel not wanting to open up to her. Little does she know that he only pushes her way because of the guilt he feels of when he looks at her from attacking her at Phantom T^T a tragedy indeed.**

 **I've never seen the two fight together, so I thought it'd be realistic to show that they don't exactly fight the** _ **best**_ **together while still going along with the "for my nakama" theme… Hope I did okay**

 **Plus, writing a fight scene in present tense is really hard…**


	5. Juvia and Mira

**Author's Note**

 **Whoo! New chapter!**

* * *

"I think I got it!" Levy exclaims, causing everyone to stop in their tracks. "I think I can use telepathy."

"Good on you, Levy!" Lisanna cheers, giving her a congratulatory pat from behind.

"You're so smart, Levy!" Wendy grins.

"Yeah." Gray nods, looking over his shoulder. "What can you do?"

"Um, I don't think I can do too much without draining myself too much... I think I can only communicate with two or three people at a time." Levy exclaims, her eyes scanning back over the book.

"Only three?" Gray murmurs, thoughtfully touching his chin. "So all we have to do is the finger thing-" he holds his two fingers in a salute "-and we can talk?"

"Yeah."

"You certainly learned that fast." Erza comments, giving Levy a warm smile. "We're all really proud."

"It's only because there's a full-on manual right here, and it's not really a specialty magic. Anyone could learn it easily, I'm sure." Levy shrugs, closing the book and setting it aside. "When this is over, I want to go back to the library. Their collection is very extensive."

"Yes... when this is over." Erza frowns, before turning to Gray. "Do you think we should split up? Now we can communicate between groups."

"I don't know. I wanted to stay in a big group, but we're not getting anything accomplished. I guess we should. Any objections?"

"Just one question." Laxus grunts, folding his arms over his chest. "That purple ice you used back there. What was that?"  
Gray's frown deepens, and he noticeably tenses. "Oh, that."

"Yes, I'm curious as well." Erza seconds. "I'm sure you didn't possess such power before we arrived at the Cube."

"It was my dad," Gray answers, looking past Laxus to the wall next to him. "Before I met up with you guys."

"That doesn't explain everything." Laxus says, and Erza glares at him.

"Hush, Laxus. We were wrong to ask in the first place. He obviously isn't comfortable speaking about it."

"Yeah, I'm not." Gray affirms, meeting Laxus' glare. "Besides, there's more important things to do."

"I think you being so damn weird is just as-" Laxus starts, before the ground begins to rumble. Everyone desperately tries to keep themselves balanced, throwing each other worried glances just as a bright light shoots through the hallway, blinding everyone.

"What the hell is this?" Laxus shouts, repeatedly blinking, trying to recover his vision. No one answers, most likely because they can't hear him over all the noise.

By the time the rumbling stops, the light had gone and everyone was starting to recover their vision, all but Erza furiously rubbing her eyes. The red-headed warrior lookes ahead, frowning.

"Where did the noise come from?" Erza wonders aloud, before turning to Levy. "Levy, do you think you could set up a communication link? See if anyone else is responsive?"

"I'll try!" Levy nods, holding her hand up in a salute. She closes her eyes and her eyebrows twitch in concentration.

"Hello? Is anyone there?" She says, before falling silent. "I don't think anyone's in my range."

 _"Wait! No, no, Juvia's here!"_

 _"So am I!"_

It's Mira and Juvia!" Levy informs everyone, who all relax at knowing that there's someone they can rescue or aid.

"Where are you guys right now?" Levy asks. Tiny beads of sweat drip down her forehead. "I can't hold the link for long!"

 _"Juvia thinks she's on the eastern side of this thing. She can see the Cathedral from this window."_

 _"I think I'm on some lower level... There are stairs everywhere, all leading up. I can see the Cathedral, too."_

"So neither of you caused that noise?"

 _"No, but I heard it, too. The ceiling was collapsing because of it, I barely made it out."_

 _"Really? Juvia didn't hear a thing. But, she did see some stairs while walking around. Maybe Juvia can find Mira. Since when did Levy know telepathy?"_

"Oh, since a few minutes ago. So you guys are okay?"

 _"Yeah."_

 _"Yes. Are you alone, Levy?"_

"No. Laxus, Erza, Gray, Lisanna, and Wendy are with me."

 _"How big is this place that I haven't found anyone?"_

 _"Well, there's sure to be somebody at the loud bang Mira and Levy heard."_

 _"That's true."_

 _"Oh! Juvia hears someone! Is that you Mira?"_

 _"What? I don't hear you. I don't think I'm close by."_

 _"Huh? But Juvia swears-"_

Juvia's link abruptly disappears, causing Levy's eyes to widen in horror. "Juvia?!"

 _"Levy, don't worry! I'll find her!"_

Mira's link disappears.

"Levy, what's wrong?" Erza asks, frowning at Levy's alarm.

"Juvia's encountered someone- Mira's gone after her."

"Shit." Gray mumbles. "Erza, come on. We'll head west. Lisanna and Wendy, head north. Laxus and Levy, head east. Be careful."

"Why are we splitting up?" Lisanna protests, motioning around her. "We don't know where everyone else is, or how to get to them, and you want to split up even more?"

"That's what I'm for!" Levy speaks up, determination radiating off her in waves. "I can connect the groups I'm near to, and if I can find Warren, then we'll all be able to find each other. Besides, we don't know how many more Gates there are."

Lisanna, relunctantly nods, still staring at Gray. "Listen here, 'commander'. I'm trusting that you'll keep your cool, huh? You can hurt even more people the way you are right now."

Gray gives her a tight frown, but nods. "Right."

Laxus grabs Lisanna's shoulder. "Your hostility doesn't help. Have a little faith."

Lisanna doesn't answer, instead crossing her arms.

"Guys! We're wasting time." Erza barks. "Let's go!"

She grabs Gray's hand and runs down the left path, Laxus and Levy going forward.

"Come on, Lisanna." Wendy says, running to the right.

"Alright." Lisanna sighs, running after her partner.

* * *

"Another fairy?" Juvia turns around, eyes finding the creature that made the comment.

A large purple "person" stands behind her, his towering height intimidating by herself. His skin is riddled with scales and sharp fins poke through the legs of his pants and right under his elbow. A large grin is on his face, showing off his sharp teeth, and his black eyes stare at her as if she's some sort of object.

"Who are you?" Juvia asks, readying herself for battle.

"Torafuzar, one of the Nine Demon Gates."

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **revised 3/24/17**

 **Juvia and Mira have appeared! Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	6. Meeting Lamy

"Juvia?!" Mira calls, looking through the doorways lining the halls. Her hair flies wildly around her as she sprints down the hall, desperately hoping to hear a response from the Water Mage.

She had started out looking more carefully, taking a little more time to inspect her surroundings. That's was until she heard a bloodcurdling scream echo throughout the hall. She had mindlessly hopped up the first flight of stairs she saw, after that, praying that luck would lead her in the right direction.

But, as she slows down, she realizes that she is lost. She curses her stupidity- she should've made some sort of mental map of the place- and starts running again. She told Levy she would find Juvia, so she will. She just hopes she isn't too late.

* * *

"Huh?" Gajeel grunts, setting Lucy down. The two look around, but they still see nothing but the futuristic blue tubes.

"I'm guessing you heard that, too?" Lucy questions, straying away to check behind a nearby wall.

"Of course you heard me! Even you stupid humans can hear! Even ugly humans like you two." The voice taunts again.

As much as Gajeel would like to trace the disembodied voice back to its owner with his superior hearing, the place is too damn big and even the tiniest noise leaves an echo. After straining to hear some sort of clue as to where the mystery person is, he shrugs, eyeing the place one more time.

"C'mon Bunny Girl. Whoever it is will pop up soon. We're wasting time."

Lucy ignored him, her cheeks pink with frustration. "You think I'm going to let them call me _ugly_ when they won't even put up a fight?! Come out here, coward!"

She stomps her foot, fists clenched. Her eyes scan the room, waiting for a response.

"Stupid human. They always want to show their superiority in physical battle. Of course, what else could they do? They seem to lack the brains to act like a civilized being."

"Civilized beings don't call others ugly!" Lucy screeches.

"Hmph."

Gajeel's eyes flickers to the right. He's sure that she must be somewhere over there.

A girl, with thin, black eyes and sleek black hair, strolls throughout the lab, notepad and pen in hand. She wears a white lab coat, and black flats shelter her small feet from the cement floor. Other than the fact that her feet move at an incredible speed, despite her leisurely pace, she seems pretty normal.

That is, until Gajeel notices the large bunny ears protruding from her head.

"Bunny Girl?!" He blurts, unintentionally drawing Lucy's attention.

"What?"

"No, that girl is a _bunny_."

The mystery girl decides to respond, her voice laced with irritation. "I am not a _bunny_. I am Lamy, one of Zeref's demons. This beautiful creation around you was built, planned, and is managed by _me_."

She steps into full sight, scrutinizing the two without any discretion. Lucy immediately grabs of her neck, holding it tight enough for Lamy to seem irritated, which is proven by the large frown on her face.

"I'll also have you know that this laboratory, Hell's Core, is vital to the Cube's wellbeing. Unless you intend to plummet down into your beloved city, killing you and its citizens on impact before releasing large waves of harmful levels of magic that will everyone in a large radius, I suggest you put me down." She says, giving Lucy a harsh glare.

"I'm tempted to test that theory." Lucy growls, but she roughly throws her on the ground anyway. "And I'll have you know that _this_ amount of natural beauty is rare."

"Really?" Lamy snickers, dusting off her coat, standing back up. "The only difference between you and that sword-wielder is that you have blonde hair."

Gajeel stifles a laugh as Lucy stares at Lamy, appalled, stumbling on her words. Gajeel clears his throat- this is certainly not a time for a catfight- gaining the lady's attention.

"You have some sort of cameras hooked up?" He asks, trying his best to look for some around the tubes.

"Of course." She snorts, pushing strands of hair out of her face. "Not like you simpleminded clods would be able to use it."

"Try us."

Lamy squints at him, before shaking her head. "I decline. Now, if you would excuse me, I have some business to attend to."

With that, she scurries away, quickly disappearing behind all the tubes.

"Well, she doesn't seem dangerous." Lucy says, keeping her eyes trained forwards.

"But we're still going to follow her aren't we?"

"Of course."

* * *

 _A fairy's sword can never kill a king._

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Revised 3/24/17**

 **Whoo! Chapter's done! It's short, but I think this is enough? I couldn't help but feel inspired to write Lamy like Peridot from** _ **Steven Universe**_ **. In fact, you'll probably see a whole bunch of references in the chapters ahead.**

 **I'm itching to get this over with so the romance can begin!**

 **And did you see my hint? Did you get it? You'll see if you guessed right soon, haha.**


	7. The Race to Natsu

**Author's Note**

 **Second chapter up so soon?! I know, you're so excited! Enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

"Hush, Tomcat!"

Carla presses her back against a large stone, trying to scare the exceed next to her into shutting up so they won't get caught.

She only brought the he-cat with her because she thought that having a buddy could never be a bad thing, but so far, Happy has failed to impress her. He's been whining and fretting since the moment she found him, cowering behind a window as a Demon passed by.

His suit was the cleanest thing she'd seen in hours, nothing like her matted fur that was stained with dirt. Happy looked very much the same- they were as dirty as the hallways she'd been flying through. She had an odd sense that he noticed they were there, but she followed him anyway, dragging the bewildered exceed with her.

The man made no move to attack, and even with all the rubble lining the halls, she didn't lose sight of him- his black hair was hard to follow in the dim light, sure, but she managed.

Despite Happy's protests, she had kept them flying instead of walking- they were too small to catch up and their paws were sure to make some sort of echo- and decided she would deal with the exhaustion when it came.

Unfortunately, the time has come, and Carla keeps her breaths as quiet as possible. Happy makes no such attempt, and he clings to Carla's arm and blabbers about how he's going to die and how he needs to find Natsu and other things that Carla doesn't care about or doesn't prioritize.

Her checklist is simple.

Figure out what this man has planned.

Find Wendy.

Get out this place alive.

She has no idea how exactly to do any of those things, and the vision she had just earlier didn't help _at all_.

A shadowed demon holding Lucy's limp body as if she was a princess, before everything burst into flames.

It was more scary than helpful, and Carla had kept it to herself, not keen to further frighten Happy.

"Is he still here?" Happy whispers, tugging at the helm of her skirt. She scowls and smacks his paw away.

"If you don't be quiet, I'm going to throw you out as bait and ask the meat-eating demons to give your skul back to me as a prize." She threatens in an angry whisper. Apparently, though, it wasn't the wisest thing to say, because Happy yelps loudly. And if the demon somehow didn't notice it, the echos that follow makes sure that he doesn't miss a single thing.

"I figured you would still be there." He chuckles. Carla peeks over the edge of the rock, catching the demon saring at her with his dark eyes.

Wings immediately sprout from Carla's back, and she shakes Happy off before taking off. It's not like she _wants_ to let him die, but as soon as she activates her magic, she feels drowsy and there's no way she can carry him again without both of them being caught.

It may be selfish, and she doesn't looks back until she's nearly exited the room. Happy sits curled into a ball, probably too in shock to realize that she's even gone, his eyes blankly staring across the room as he shudders.

"I'm sorry, Happy." She whispers, softening at the sight of the nearly insane cat. "I'll tell your story when this is over..."

* * *

"Gray, slow down!" Erza shouts, grabbing the Ice Mage's shoulder.

"What do you mean 'slow down'?" Gray growls, pulling his arm out of Erza's grasp. "Juvia could be in grave danger and you want me to _slow down_? Don't you care about her?!"

"Of course I care about her! Yes, we must work with haste, but no benefits will come with careless speed. Too much haste leads to mistakes."

"Listen, I don't need a lecture right now. If you wanna take a stroll, then you go ahead." He points ahead, squinting at Erza. " _I_ will be saving my guild mate."

Erza watches him as he runs ahead. "Don't be a child, Gray!" She says, but is ignored. Calming herself down with a single breath, she runs after him, making sure she's not too close.

He had been on edge for a while now- something which is bothering and worrying Erza. The last time he was even close to being this unstable was back on Galuna Island, when they found Deliora.

He's acting like he's in control, but Erza sees past the act. Did he really think that she wouldn't notice the random items freezing around him? Not to mention, she's freezing.

While it's completely understandable that he would be distressed- not only is his best friend his sworn enemy, but he just lost his father- Erzais sure there is something else adding to Gray's turmoil. She brushes it off, guessing that the thought of any of the guildmates, especially Juvia, getting hurt is tearing him apart. He is obviously struggling to keep his magic in check, and any triggers would definitely set him off. One sight of E.N.D and he might just lash out, intentional or not.

Erza doesn't want to be there when that happens, not with the sudden increase in magic ever since he encountered his magic.

She realizes that everyone is lucky that Gray is on their side- she always knew he would surpass her, he had great promise. She'd hate for him to be an enemy- for anyone in her guild to be turned into an enemy.

But that's exactly what happened to Natsu.

Can she really hurt Natsu? Demon or not, she's positive that her friend is in there, and if there's a way to rid of E.N.D without hurting Natsu, she will find a way.

It'll be a different story if Gray sees him.

Whether she likes it or not, Erza has been forced into a race, one she can't lose.

She must save Natsu before Gray kills him.

* * *

"Tofu?" Juvia immediately responds, before her hand flies to her mouth. Torafuzar glares at her with a blazing fire in his eyes, and her takes a step forward, lessening the gap between them by over a yard.

"Did you," he starts, black water forming around his fists to match Juvia's, "call me... Tofu?"

Juvia gulps- embarrassed by her mistake, but refusing to say such to the enemy. Torafuzar growls at the lack of response his body suddenly becoming covered with armored skin.

 _Like Gajeel?!_ Juvia thinks, instinctively stepping back.

"Haha, afraid?" Torafuzar snickers, muttering something under his breath- a spell?!

Juvia looks around her- just what did the demon do? She hears a low rumble, and steels herself- whatever the noise is, she's sure it's for her. Why else would Torafuzar be looking at her with that smug expression?

He senses her knowledge of the battle to come and laughs," Enjoy these last few seconds, fairy. My black water of darkness will be arriving soon."

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Revised 3/24/17.**

 **I've changed most of the chapters before because I messed up with the plot line- it's all fixed now! Anyway, 4 Demon Gates have been introduced! Still a long way to go.**

 **Another filler. But, hey. Whatever.**

 **And thanks Fizzy for the reviews! You're amazing T^T**

 **Have a nice day!**


	8. Stake Out!

**Author's Note**

 **A whole chapter on just Lucy and Gajeel!**

* * *

Lucy crouches down behind a desk, Gajeel loudly heading over to her. Unlike Lucy, who is hellbent on acting like a ninja, Gajeel believes this all to be a waste of time, but even with his constant threats on leaving, she stays persistent and continues.

Irritating as she may be, Gajeel knows good and well that if he leaves her and she so much as scrapes her knee, Natsu won't forgive him. In fact, the iron dragon slayer is surprised that he has yet to hear any distant battle cries or his roaring flames of his fire counterpart, but shrugs it off. The place _is_ massive, after all. Two hours since his sudden appearance in one of the Cube's many foyers and he still has yet to come across someone other than Lucy and the two demons.

But, even with the threat of a flaming fist or attracting attention, Gajeel makes no attempt to keep his noise level down, and Lucy shoots him a glare.

"Why do you insist on being so loud?" She seethes.

He arches and eyebrow, leaning against the wall the desk rests against. "Why do you insist on being so quiet?"

The blonde scowls, before peering over the desk, looking at Lamy.

She's not too far away- they had exited the part of the lab filled with the tubes and had entered a nearly empty part, with many archways leading into other rooms just as vacant. The only things that inhabited the room, save the desk she was hiding behind, are a few large pieces of lab equipment that line the back wall.

Lamy is either completely oblivious or she's ignoring the duo, because she runs back and forth between the machines, not sparing them even a millisecond of her attention.

One piece of equipment, though, Lucy finds her constantly hanging around, and she squints at it, hoping to make better sense of it.

It's at this moment that Gajeel starts to whistle. It's a bizarre tune that makes Lucy cringe, moving to cover her ears before anything else. She looks back at Lamy, who continues working, seemingly faster. Sighing in relief that they, possibly, weren't caught, she turns her attention back to her difficult partner.

"Whistling?" She growls, sending a hard punch into his side. His whistling abruptly stops at the contact, and he chokes at the force. Matching her own glare, he considers hitting her back, before deciding that it would go against "The Rules of a Gentleman", a list of things that he learned _not_ to do to others during his first year of Fairy Tail.

Sure, he doesn't abide by _all_ the rules, he wouldn't be Gajeel otherwise, but he knows the lines that he shouldn't cross.

"Listen, maybe if you weren't acting like you're a spy all the damn time I wouldn't be so bored! What are we looking for anyway?!" He says in a loud whisper, which Lucy counts as an improvement- at least he's not too loud anymore.

"We're looking for clues!" She says, rolling her eyes as if it should be obvious. What else would they be looking for? "Like the machine over there. It looks like some sort of security thing. Look at all the screens- they all look like they have pictures of parts of the Cube."

"You could let me at her and we can make her spill."

"Don't you remember what she said? She's vital to the Cube- it'll fail and kill everyone without her managing it."

"I thought you were tempted to test the theory?" Gajeel smirks, finally sitting down across from her.

"Shut up. It was an in-the-moment thing."

"Uh huh." Gajeel grunts. "And isn't that kind of shifty? They leave a bunny-eared girl with no combat or magical skills alone to manage something so important? I doubt that's the case. Someone else on here can keep us from crashing into wherever even if she's not here. That I'm sure of."

Lucy mulls over his words, still looking at him with disbelief etched on her features. "Maybe…" She murmurs, before turning back to Lamy. "I still wonder what those cubes are for. And how come they're perfectly fine after everything?"

Gajeel shrugs. "I've been thinking about the whole thing, too. I remember Levy and I were fighting against Torafuzar- well, more like I was fighting and she kept me alive- and then right after that everything went dark and I woke up somewhere else." He pauses, trying to remember any more detail. "I thought I died when I first woke up- it was so quiet."

"The same happened to me…" Lucy says with wide eyes. She turns all the way around, so that her whole body's facing Gajeel. "I summoned the Celestial Spirit King-"

"You what?!" Gajeel shouts in disbelief. "I mean, the _King_? How did you manage _that_?"

"I'd rather not talk about that." Lucy murmurs. She clears her throat, dispelling any will Gajeel might have had to push the topic. "I collapsed after that, and woke up in a cell."

A pause ensues, as Lucy tries to avoid any more detail and Gajeel waits for her to elucidate. After a while, he raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "And you either magically escaped or they just forgot to lock the door and chain you down?"

"Something like that."

When she looks up again, Lamy is gone, and she scowls. "I didn't even hear her leave."

She stands up, before grabbing her forehead. "Ow, ow, ow." She moans. "It hurts!"

"All of a sudden?"

"Wait." Lucy says, releasing her head. "I remembered something."

"It's one of those cliché happenings where you remember something important after a throbbing headache that only happens in stories?"

"Yeah." Lucy laughs. "Well, I think. Right before I summoned The Celestial King, Jackal and Torafuzar appeared."

"Which means you encountered him before we fought." Gajeel concludes, motioning for Lucy to continue.

"But, Jackal _killed_ Lamy. I watched him just blow her to pieces. So how is she still alive?"

"It means that I was probably right." Gajeel says, standing up next to her. "I said before that Lamy isn't the only one that can run Hell's Core. What if there's more than one Lamy? Like, clones or something?"

"Maybe, I don't know."

The two stand in silence, before turning towards each other. With one nod, they communicate their next plan of action, and they walk towards the screens.

After watching for a small while, Gajeel shrugs, looking at the thing in disappointment. "See, it doesn't even show anything."

"Maybe you're ri- wait!" Lucy shouts, grabbing the retreating Gajeel's wrist.

"It's Happy!"

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Whoop! Next chapter! I redid the previous chapters, some of them anyway, and some parts or drastically different, so I suggest that you go back and read them. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	9. Temporary Setbacks

**Author's Note**

 **I'm back~ I tried to make this chapter super long (okay, it's only 2k words, but that's longer than usual for me). Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Happy?" Gajeel grunts, turning back towards the screens. He watches in silence as Happy cowers on the ground, seemingly shaking. "Does that mean that Salamander's nearby?"

Lucy turns towards him, her eyes suddenly filled with overwhelming sadness. "Gajeel," she whispers softly, "Natsu's gone."

* * *

"Lisanna! I can't keep up!" Wendy pants, leaning against the wall. Lisanna looks back, just noticing Wendy's fatigue.

"I'm sorry!" She exclaims, rushing back to the girl. She drops to the floor, watching Wendy do the same. While she hates having to take a break, she needs to make sure Wendy's comfortable, or at least in fighting condition.

Lisanna idly wonders if she is in such condition herself. She flexes her fingers, feeling magic surge to her fingertips, lazily shooting a beam towards the opposite wall. It feels like yesterday when she couldn't call on her magic, but she doesn't want to think about it.

"I'm sorry if I'm a burden." Wendy says momentarily, her voice dripping with self-disappointment. Lisanna shrugs- she couldn't really deny it, things would go much faster if Wendy wasn't here.

"It's okay." She sighs, only half meaning it. Wendy notices, her face drooping into a frown.

"No, it's not." She mutters, curling into a ball. "Everyone thinks I'm so strong since I'm a dragon slayer, but I could never match up with Natsu or Gajeel."

She throws her hands up in frustration. "I'm not even strong enough to stand a chance against Max, even! _Max_ , for heaven's sake! I'm _so weak_."

Lisanna laughs, amused by Wendy accidentally (she hopes) dissing Max. Wendy looks up at her, her face tilted in a confused frown, her short hair framing her face.

Wait…

 _Short hair?!_

"Wendy!" Lisanna shrieks. "What happened to your hair?!"

Wendy's hand reaches up, grabbing one of her blue locks, twisting it with her fingers. "Oh… This?" She murmurs, before nervously laughing. "It was an in-the-moment statement when I was fighting one of the Gates with Carla."

"But it was so beautiful and long!" Lisanna whines. "I envied your long hair for the longest time! Wait! You fought a Demon Gate by _yourself_?!"

Lisanna gapes at Wendy in disbelief, just realizing how much she has grown. No longer is Wendy the timid girl Lisanna knew her as, but instead a proud Fairy Tail mage who has developed her magic to fight alongside her family. Lisanna desperately tries to think about when exactly Wendy had become so mature and strong.

It was so gradual, Wendy's growth, that Lisanna didn't notice until now, and the impact of the revelation hit her hard.

Wendy's an adult now.

"No." Wendy states. "I fought with Carla."

"Right." Lisanna sweatdrops. She doubts that Carla could've been of much help, combat-wise, but it's nice that Wendy included her in the thoughts of the battle's aftermath.

Natsu never did as much with Happy.

Wendy stands up, brushing the dust off her clothes, (which ended in dust flying into Lisanna's face) looking ahead with a startling amount of resolve. "Alright! I'm ready to go!"

When she isn't met with a response, she looks back down to Lisanna.

"I'm allergic," Lisanna coughs, her face painted gray, "to dust."

Wendy squeaks, alarmed at Lisanna's rapid breathing. Since when did reactions happen this quickly?! She desperately runs around the wall, looking for anything to help, too busy to hear Lisanna's shouts.

"Wendy!" Lisanna shouts, grabbing the girl's leg as soon as she runs by. "Wind! _Wind_!"

Wendy stares at her in confusion, before it dawns on her. "Sky Dragon's Roar!" She shouts, a blast of wind blowing the dust away from the Takeover Mage, who wheezes, her hand clenched against her chest.

"Thanks," she sputters," Thanks a bunch."

* * *

Gray swears as the ground rumbles with a great ferocity, covering his ears to block out the noise. Unlike the mini-quake that had him worried in the first place, this one held the promise of a greater threat, and Gray could feel whatever force causing it coming close. But, the impending disaster seems far away enough for him not to be in too much of a rush. He vaguely notices Erza shouting at him- her face is as red as her hair, enough reason for Gray to pay her no mind.

For a moment, he forgets what exactly he is supposed to be accomplishing, mostly because of the ear-splitting crash as the ceiling topples just a few feet away from him. He blankly stares at the destruction, rendered dumb by all the commotion that won't allow him to think straight.

Suddenly he staggers, and the noise amplifies, so he looks to his left, and finds Erza pulling him along the way, dodging the collapsing ceiling. With his ear now uncovered, he can hear Erza chastising him as she frantically tries to keep Gray out of harm's way.

"I told you to move, didn't I?! Why, I was considering leaving you there!" She roars, her grip on Gray's hand tightening as she yanks him forward just as a rock fell where he just stood. She jerks to the side, falling into a room unaffected by whatever rages outside of the door. The rumbles transform into soft vibrations, the chairs and lamps in the room quietly clattering against each other and the walls.

Erza and Gray both lay on their backs, breathing heavily as they watch chunks of concrete fall just a few feet away, barricading the door.

"Wow." Gray says, taking a deep breath, coming back to his senses. "What the hell was that?"

Erza doesn't answer, wiping dust off her armor as she stands up, a frown etched onto her face. It isn't until then that Gray notices the anger rolling off her in waves as she stares at him with such intensity that he scrambles backwards, not even fully aware of what he's doing.

"You," she starts, her voice so low that Gray strains to hear it, "have done nothing but act so childish that one might mistake you for Natsu!"

She falters for a second at the mention of the mage, and Gray's face hardens. If Natsu hadn't been so damn stubborn about E.N.D's book, then none of this would have happened. Natsu's childishness put them in a horrible situation.

"I can sense those disgusting thoughts running through your mind right now and you would do well to listen to me when I say vanquish them." Erza speaks, her eyes narrowing into slits. "Whatever vendetta you have against Natsu because of E.N.D, get rid of it. Think of what Natsu's going through right now!"

"Natsu?" Gray laughs, a dark, humorless laugh that surprises him and her both. "Natsu doesn't exist. He knew what he was. That, I'm sure of."

The oncoming slap is so fast that Gray doesn't processed what happened until Erza's hand is already retracted. His hand flies to his cheeks to feel the damage that the armored fist inflicted.

He glances up at Erza. "What the hell was that for?"

"You have known Natsu for who knows how many years and you can still find it in you to say that?" She stares at him in utter disgust, before turning around, beginning to inspect the room.

Gray purses his lips, getting up to help her. He can't understand why she's so mad. He's sure he's not in the wrong.

Natsu must've known he was a demon. Why else would he struggle so hard to obtain that book when he knew Gray was aiming to destroy it? They both knew how dangerous unleashing the demon inside the book would be, yet Natsu was still so insistent on keeping it.

The question is, what was his motive?

Power? Gray knows that Natsu thought being powerful would somehow draw Igneel to him. Did Natsu think that obtaining E.N.D's power would draw Igneel closer to him?

 _How selfish._

Gray sighs, shoulders slumping at his fruitless attempt to find some way out of their current prison. "You couldn't have jumped into a room with an exit?" He mutters, crossing his arms and leaning against a bookshelf.

"My priority was staying alive, not finding a five-star hotel room for you!" Erza snaps, pressing her ear against a wall.

"I'd take a four-star room. I'm not that picky." Gray says, pursing his lips at Erza's glare.

"After this is over, I'm going to make you wish a Demon Gate got to your before I did." Erza declares, making Gray involuntarily shudder. He tries his best to hide it, praying that after their victory over Tartaros (he's praying about that too) Erza will be in too good of a mood to execute any sort of punishment.

"This'll do." She mutters, before transforming into Heaven's Wheel Armor, her swords suddenly appearing all around the room. One spawns just as Gray is about to move to Erza to see what she is talking about, resulting in his face almost being impaled. He lets out a _manly_ squeal, ducking just as the swords are sent flying into the wall, barely being missed by the sharp edges.

When the noise subsides, Gray comes out of his crouching position, finding a large hole in the wall with Erza nowhere to be found. He remains on the ground in shock, until Erza's voice sounds from the other side.

"Gray! Hurry and come here."

The Ice-Mage shoots off the ground, clearing his throat to hide his shame, willing his embarrassed blush to disappear. "Coming!" He shouts, his voice a little too high. "Coming!" He tries again, nodding his head in satisfaction. He walks out the room, finding himself in yet another hallway. Erza stands off to the side, and upon his arrival, she starts down the hall, ignoring the rumbling that Gray noticed the moment he stepped out.

"Where are we now?" Gray asks, glancing around at the dull walls.

"I haven't the slightest idea." Erza answers. "I was hoping to exit near a window. We might've been able to get our bearings there, but we've lucked out."

"We lucked out the moment we stepped foot in this place." Gray mutters, kicking a rock in mild frustration. What he needs is a fight, but he hasn't come across anyone since escaping from E.N.D's clutches.

"Well, if luck isn't on our side, we'll use our ability and determination to pull through." Erza replies.

Gray shudders at the cheesiness of the comment- it's not cool unless you say it in battle.

* * *

Juvia stares dumbfounded at the ever-so-smug Torafuzar. Despite his claim of his "black water of darkness" coming soon, it has yet to arrive. They had been in a tense standoff for four minutes and twenty eight seconds (she's been counting to pass the time) and nothing has happened since he cast his spell.

Still, she knows not to let down her guard (that might be what he's waiting for) but she can't bring herself to strike first. She knows nothing of his armored skin, weaknesses or abilities, and isn't eager to go against it. She's never been able to defeat Gajeel in battle whenever he turned himself into armor, so she doubts she'll be able to win against the demon.

Just as she is about to take the opportunity to run- she doubts that he would expect it after her staying for so long- the rumble returns, this time with so much ferocity that she is knocked off her feet. She forces herself back to her feet, scowling as Torafuzar's laugh echoes throughout the room. And as the rumbling becomes louder and louder, she can hear another noise accompanying it.

 _The sound of rushing water_.

Juvia doesn't know whether she should be scared or happy. Sure she'd be fighting in her element, boosting her strength, but with Torafuzar already strong enough to give her a challenging battle with his iron skin, she can't imagine how much the water will play to his advantage. He must be an excellent swimmer, with his shark-like appearance, and Juvia doesn't know whether or not she'd be able to do _anything_.

She begins to panic as the black water begins to fill the room at an alarming rate.

She is outmatched in strength, speed, and magic power.

"Get ahold of yourself Juvia!" She chastises herself, slapping her cheeks, ignoring the water rapidly climbing up to her waist. "Juvia's a Fairy Tail Water Mage! Water can't intimidate Juvia!" She gives Torafuzar a pointed look. "Torafuzar can't scare Juvia either!"

Torafuzar snickers at Juvia's resolve. "Whether you're scared of me or not, I'm going to kill you."

"Juvia would like to see you try."

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **I did it! Made it to two thousand! Two thousand and nine words without the ANs, to be exact. I hope you enjoyed!**


	10. Possible Solution

Laxus looks at Levy, impatiently tapping his foot. They stopped running almost as soon as they started, when Levy decided to come to a sudden stop without giving Laxus the slightest running. It took him minutes to realize that the Solid Script Mage was no longer in sight, and that the footsteps that he heard as he ran through the hallway were only his own.

He came back to find her reading a book, one that she was so concentrated on she didn't spare him a single glance or explanation, and seeing as Laxus didn't understand whatever language the book was written in, he couldn't grasp the situation, no matter how much he wanted to.

Knowing better than to leave Levy by herself, (he may seem nonchalant, but he really cares about his guild mates) he took to waiting, trying his best not to let his frustration show. Levy knows the gravity of the situation as much as he does, so he trusts that whatever she's stopping for must be important.

Her blue hair matted against her head from all the running and her porcelain skin is covered with dirt. Her unsightly nails dirty the book with each touch, leaving smudges everywhere. She's made herself comfortable on a conveniently placed chair with the large book in her lap. She's already flipped through nearly all the pages, despite them only being there for a short twenty minutes.

Within each passing minute, Laxus feels his resolve to be patient dissolve. So many questions are buzzing trough his head that its making him go insane. All of Fairy Tail's battles have been so straightforward, and basically the same.

Find the bad guy. Beat the bad guy. Have a party afterwards.

But Tartaros is truly something else. As far as Laxus knows, everyone's been affected by something, and he's guessing that E.N.D has something to do with it, too. But, it's hard to gain intel to properly fuel his possible theory when there's no time to talk and no one who's willing to.

Laxus knows that Tempesta's down. And Torafuzar should be, too. And he's certain that he's not the only one who kicked some ass, so really, all the Nine Demon Gates should be dead, with Hell's Core broken.

But, if that were the case, they wouldn't still be in this hellhole, and yet, they are. If Laxus could just piece together what happened after Tempesta's defeat and waking up in chains surrounded by his guildmates, maybe things would be a little easier.

But when he tries to remember, he sees nothing but darkness. Whether it's his mind drawing a blank or a valid clue, he doesn't know.

"Laxus." Levy says, breaking him out of his train of thought. Her eyes are still glued to the book, her finger retracing what looks like a paragraph. Laxus grunts in acknowledgement. He doesn't have time for dramatic build-ups. He's tired of the unknown.

"We have to find Lucy."

* * *

"Gone?" Gajeel questions, looking at Lucy in disbelief. "Salamander can't be dead!"

"I don't know if I would say dead…" Lucy murmurs, her voice trailing off as her eyes shied away from Gajeel's gaze. "He's just gone."

Confusion takes place of Gajeel's surprise, and a small scowl forms on his lips. "You'll have to be a bit more specific than that, Lucy."

Lucy involuntarily flinches at Gajeel's tone, regretting bringing it up. She is not eager to talk about many things, and E.N.D's revival is one of them. So, she lets go of Gajeel's arm, hoping that he'll be kind enough to drop the subject.

But he doesn't, and he gently grabs her hand. Lucy looks back up at him, noticing how stiff he is. He isn't one for physical contact, lest it be with his fists, and Lucy can tell how much discomfort his action is causing him, but that just shows how much he cares for the blonde.

It's the pitiful look in his eyes and his oh-so-sad smile that makes her frown.

"Do you need to talk about it?" Gajeel prods, his coaxing tone nearly sending Lucy into rage.

She is _not_ a child.

"No, I don't." She snaps, shoving past him towards the next room. Gajeel stares dumbfounded after her, unsure of what he did wrong. He figured that since the blonde is such a softie, that "heartfelt" sympathy would be the best course.

He was expecting Lucy to start wailing in his arms about how Natsu died, or rather how he's "gone", and Gajeel will tell her it's all right. Levy told him that's how heartfelt confessions go in her novels- why would it be any different in real life?

He shakes off the frustration he feels from his nescience of what exactly happened to Natsu and follows behind the blonde, careful to stay at a safe distance.

He quietly follows her through the Cimmerian hallways, extending his mental map of the place. A sudden ripple in the still magical environment stops him, although Lucy continues, undeterred.

 _Hello?_

"Lucy wait!" Gajeel shouts, and the blonde halts, still refusing to look back to him.

 _Hello?_

"Do you hear that?" Gajeel asks, and Lucy finally turns.

"Hear what?"

 _Hello?!_

Gajeel's hand instinctively fly to his forehead, forming a salute. Someone's using telepathy, whether it's friend or foe is unknown.

"Who's this?" Gajeel growls, trying his best to sound intimidating lest it be an enemy.

" _Gajeel!"_

"Shrimp?"

" _I'm not a shrimp! Anyway, I'm glad to have-"_

"How you are communicating with Levy?" Lucy questions, suddenly right next to Gajeel. She puts her hands to a salute. "I can't detect a thing."

Gajeel shrugs. "I'd like to know that, too. Oi, Shrimp."

" _Did you hear anything I just said?!"_

"No." Gajeel says flatly. "But I have something important to ask- two questions. How can I hear you but Lucy can't?"

" _You're with Lucy?! Laxus, we found her!"_

"You're with Laxus?" Gajeel mutters, frowning at the thought of the lightning dragon slayer and Shrimp in the same vicinity. "And you're not answering my question!"

" _Where are you?! I'll explain when we get there, but I have a plan!"_

"Oi, Bunny Girl. Where are we?"

"How am I supposed to know!" Lucy growls. "Just tell her to find Hell's Core. We'll stay put until they find us."

"Find Hell's Core. We'll be there." Gajeel repeats. "My other question was to ask where you are, but I guess that doesn't matter now, huh?"

" _Yup! Sit tight! We'll be there sooner or later!"_

With that, another ripple surges the room, and Levy's voice is gone.

The two sit down in the dim hallway, enveloped in silence.

"Since when could Levy use telepathy?"

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **I absolutely despise this chapter, but whatever. I hope at least you guys enjoyed!**


	11. DUN DUN DUN!

**Author's Note**

 **What's this? A chapter?**

* * *

"We've already been this way!" Levy says aloud, although she knows that Laxus isn't listening. He has led her into the same dead ends for the past ten minutes, leaving her so irritated she couldn't focus enough to try and communicate with anyone via her new magic. She doesn't know how Warren did it. Her respect for him has exponentially grown over the past two hours.

The two walk on for a few more minutes, before Laxus finally realizes that, _surprise surprise!_ , Levy was right the whole time. With a grunt, he spins around on his heel and goes back the way they came. Levy stares at the dragon slayer as if she could shoot lasers out of her eyes- the dude is all battle strategy and strength… nothing else. Not to mention he is stubborn as a mule and that superiority complex never faded away completely. And with the current situation so mood-dampening, Levy isn't enjoying her company.

" _I'm_ leading the way this time," Levy declares, stomping in front of Laxus. The man looks down on her and grunts, slowing his paces to not overcome her with his long strides. Levy, having created a mental map of where they had been, expertly dashes through the many hallways, easily arriving exactly where she wants to be.

A large passage way blockaded by tightly packed boulders, a small puddle slowly growing at its base. Beyond the blockade, the distant sound of battle roars, distorted by what could only be one thing.

Water.

Levy turns to Laxus. His ears quickly twitch and nose flares. Levy had come to learn that it was a habit all dragon slayers shared when they realize something, so Levy doesn't take any time to explain.

"Break it down." Levy instructs and Laxus scoffs.

"And electrocute anyone in there? I don't know if you noticed, but lightning and water don't mix."

"So, what I heard is, you have zero control on where your magic strikes and it could potentially harm your teammates." Levy says, examining her nails (they are disgusting). She looks up at Laxus, smug with an eyebrow raised. "You know who you kind of remind me of? Natsu."

Laxus' eyebrows twitches and Levy knows that she had won. She wouldn't tell him to do anything he isn't capable of, but he is too much of an idiot to realize it.

Wordlessly, still maintaining eye contact with Levy, Laxus' arm thrusts out, a web of electricity encasing it. Sparks flicker before a powerful beam of lightning strikes the barricade, the rocks being covered by an impressive net of light before being burst apart.

Water surges into the hallway, carrying along with it the echoes of a surprised gasp from somewhere in the black water.

Only a few blinks pass and the water is nearly up to Levy's chest, causing her to squeak in surprise. While Laxus, tall as he is, doesn't have immediately need for worry, he seems to realize two things:

This is most certainly a problem.

They're screwed.

"Nice going," Laxus commends sarcastically, still managing to keep his footing with ease, despite the strong current. Levy holds on to him to avoid being swept away.

"Shut up," she hisses, feeling the water creep up her neck. How much water is there? "Solid Script: Bubble!"

Just as the water was about to cover the lower half of Levy's face, a bubble encased her and Laxus, pushing out the black water. The bubble holds still, and Levy falls to her knees, letting out vicious coughs.

"What's in that water?" she asks, her voice raspy, taking deep breaths in before realizing that oxygen is limited.

"Don't know," Laxus says. He looks down at her for a second before speaking again. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Levy nods, moving herself to the middle of the bubble, causing Laxus to be pushed to the side. "Let's keep going."

She wills the bubble to move forward, towards the source of the water. How large the room is, she doesn't know, for she can only see around a yard away from the bubble and for a while, she sees nothing. Only stagnant water.

"I don't hear anything," Laxus announces, squinting as her peers into the water. "It's like nothing's here."

Levy nods to agree, before something catches in the corner of her eye. A wisp of bright blue hair, followed by shining fins.

"Juvia!" Levy exclaims and Laxus' head snaps to where Levy's pointing. "We gotta get her!"

"How?" Laxus says," I don't think she saw us. _I_ didn't see her myself- are you sure it isn't just some trick?"

Levy nodded her head. She knew it wasn't an illusion.

So, the two sat in silence, waiting for the bluenette to come near again.

* * *

Juvia doesn't know what happened. Just a second ago, Torafuzar was right on her tail and then for some reason, he stopped. For what? She doesn't know. Being in the toxic water had dulled her senses. He let out a gasp and recoiled, leaving Juvia (seemingly) alone in the water. So, she swam forward, since she had nothing left to do.

And now she's here, spinning in circles, waiting for the demon to reappear. Her attacks aren't working. The water slows it before the water dispels completely, against Juvia's will. She can't perform hand to hand combat without anything to pivot herself. She's barely quick enough to escape Torafuzar's clutches but she is stuck. She can't avoid him for much longer. She knows for a fact that the entrance she came through is blocked off and she didn't notice any before the water filled the room. How did she allow herself into this situation?

In the corner of her eye, the water shifts, and she readies herself to at least try and land a hit on Torafuzar. The water might be a problem, yes, but that's not what's going to kill her. It's the blades that armor the demon's flesh that will. But the familiar sound of Torafuzar's near silent kicks don't match up with how close he is to her. In fact, she hears the kicks swiftly coming towards her from the opposite direction.

Her panicked gaze goes back to the shifting water, which is now only a foot away from her. What is this? She swims backward, finding herself pushed against the wall. Pushing off the wall, she juts her feet outwards, giving a rough kick to whatever it is coming out her. Only, her feet push into what feels like nothing, the other side of this invisible barrier dry and cool.

Before she can react, large hands grip her ankle and she is pulled towards the force. With a startled yelp, she kicks her legs, but to no avail. She can hear Torafuzar nearing at unmatched speeds- she can see the distant shine of his armor managing to reflect light where is none. Just as his claws are inches from her face and she readies herself for death, she is pulled completely past the barrier.

There is a crash and crumbling, before the water starts rushing out of the point of collision. Juvia, on her butt, is up on her feet before anything could ever have the chance to attack her. Her hands ready to deal some blows.

"Laxus? Levy?!" Juvia exclaims, lowering her fists. "Juvia is so happy to see the two of you!"

Laxus grunts in reply, rubbing his wrists. "You nearly kicked my face a dozen times."

"Juvia apologizes."

Levy smiles, proud of herself for being right and managing to save one of her guildmates. She willed the bubble to the large hole in the wall, letting it glide down the waterfall that spilled into another large room, this one filled with tubes that extended from the ground to the ceiling.

"Where are we?" Levy mumbles, popping the bubble just as they touched the floor. The water evaporated all around them, the hissing of steam, although there was none to be found, all around them. From behind a tube, two figures emerge- a tall, burly man with black hair and a smiling blonde.

Lucy rushes towards them first, engulfing Levy in a hug before moving on to Juvia. "Wow! That was quick!"

"Quick?!" Gajeel scoffs. "We've been sitting here for half an hour!"

Lucy glares at Gajeel and the two argue about how much time has passed since they last heard from Levy, who sweatdropped at the two's childishness. Her eyes turn to Laxus, who is eerily silent, arms tightly crossed.

"What's bothering you?" Levy asks, before she lets out a gasp, for she has a realization of her own.

"Guys," she solemnly says, and the room becomes silent," the demons have come back to life."

 **Author's Note**

 **I DID IT! I'm super proud of myself for updating, even though it's not much of an accomplishment, haha.**


End file.
